Platen-shift for type-writing machines



(N Modem 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

W. P. KIDDBR. PLATEN SHIFT FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 564,699. Patented July 28, 1896.

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(No Model.)

w.-P. KIDDER. V PLATEN SHIFT FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

Patented July 28, 1896.

WITNESSES:

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

\VELLINGTON P KIDDER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLATEN-SHIFT FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,699, dated uly 28,1896.

Application filed November 16, 1894. Renewed April '7, 1896. Serial No.586,608. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON P. KID- DER, of Boston, in the county ofSufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Platen-Shifts for Type-Writing Machines, of .which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of so much of one form ofa type-writin g machine as is necessary to show the nature of myinvention, my improvement being attached. Fig. 2 is a side viewillustrating my invention and is partly in section on line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views,,partly in section, on line 33 of Fig. 1 and show, respectively, a part of the platen-frame in itsnormal, intermediate, and lowest position for impression, my movablestop being in the platenshifting path in Figs. 3 and 4 and out of thatpath in Fig. 5.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, simple, and efficientmechanism by manipulation of which a sidewise-shifting platen is broughtinto position to receive impression from any desired type-face on atypehead.

My invention consists, mainly, in a combination, a new element of whichis a stop that is swung into and out of the path of the platen when theplaten is shifted, the function of the swinging stop being to arrest theplaten in an impression position between its normal and extremeimpression positions in order that the platen may be moved by asingle-shift key from a normal position to a plurality of new printingpositions in the same direction, one in advance of the other,corresponding with the positions of the several types on the typeheads.

In the drawings, 1 is a platen movable both endwise and sidewise in theusual manner. Platen-frame 2 reciprocates in grooves 3 of carriage 4:and is provided with a lengthwise groove 5, the platen-frame being .keptnormally in its highest position, as shown in Fig. 2, by stress ofspring 6, against the force of which the platen is vibrated or shiftedinto each of its other impression positions.

For shifting the platen from its normal or highest impression positionto its other impression positions, I employ a double rockerarm 7, roll 8thereon moving in groove 5, so that the platen-frame 2 and rocker-arm 7are mechanically connected. Rocker-arm 7 is fast on rocker-shaft 9,journaled in the f ramc of the machine and provided with an arm 10,recessed at 11 to receive the end of the rockerarm 12 from rocker-shaft13. When platenframe 2 is in its highest position under the stress ofspring 6, one arm 14 of the double rocker-arm 7 engages an abutment 15,Fig. 3, so that the platen-frame is limited in its tendency to moveupward, but of course the upward movement of the platen-frame under thestress of spring 6 might be arrested by any other suitable stop.Rocker-shaft 13 is provided with a shift-key l6, and movement of thiskey causes the roll-carrying arm 14 of rocker-arm '7. to movedownwardly, so that the platen-frame 2 is moved away from its normalposition against the force of spring 6. When the roll-carrying arm 14 ofthe double rocker-arm 7 strikes against the abutment 17, it arrests theplaten at its extreme shift-able position from the normal. Its saidnormal position is of course one extreme impression position and itsextreme shifting position from the normal is another impressionposition, and at each of these positions the platen is held forimpression positively, owing to the contact, respectively, of one arm 14of double rocker-arm 7 with abutment 15 and of its other arm-14 withabutment 17.

In its normal position the platen is in place to receive impression fromtype a (for'example) on type-head 18, and in its lowest position fromtype c. To arrest the platenframe 2 positively at its intermediateimpression position, to receive impression of type b, the movable stop19 is employed. The normal position of this stop 19 is preferably in theshifting-path of the platen-frame, as shown in Fig. 4, and stop 19 ismoved out of this path when the platen is moved to its lowest position.(See Fig. 5. Stop 19 is carried by a swing-bar 20, pivoted at 21 to theframe of themachine and havingan upturned end 22, which is pressedoutwardly from the opposed portion of the machine-frame by a spring 23,this spring tending to keep the farther or stop-carrying end of the barin the path of the platen between the extreme impression positions, asalready explained and as in- 'utilize the shift-key'16 not only forrocking shaft 13, butalso for moving the stop-carrying bar 20. That is asingle, and one and the same, key 16 is both a shift-key and ashiftcontroller. To accomplish this, key 16 is not only so connectedwith shaft 13 as to serve as a rocker-arm therefor, but is so mounted inthe machine'thatit moves the stop carrying bar 20 at the will of theoperator to swing stop 19 out of the path of the platen, being, in orderto attain this object, conveniently hinged at 24 to a bracket 25., faston shaft 13. Bracket 25 is preferably formed with an arm 26, with whicha latch 27 engages by either tooth 28 or 29 to lock the rockashaft 13,(through bracket 25 and its arm 26,) and con sequently the platen, inany desired impression position. Latch 27 is held normally out ofposition for engagement with arm 26 by a spring 30. When thelatch 27 andarm 26 are brought together, the tendency of the parts is to pull apart,and the force then exerted is sufficient to keep them'locked together.

In ordinary operation of the machine, the shift-key is depressed in theusual manner it; it be desired to shift the platen from its upper ornormal position to its next lower or intermediate impression position;but if a shift to the lowest impression position is desired the operatorpushes the shift-key downwardly and sidewise, and the object isattaijned.

[It will be plain to all mechanics that my construction may be varied inseveral mechanical details Without departing from my invention.

The abutments 15 and 17 are each provided with an adjustable portion 31,best formed of a set-screw, as shown, so that the platen may be shiftedinto the exact position required by adjustment of the abutments when theparts become worn.

What I claim is- 1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of avibrating platen; a carriage therefor; and a type-head having aplurality of type, with stops for arresting the platen in two of itsimpression positions and a movable stop for arresting the platen inanother of its impression positions, said movable stop being connectedwith and under the control of a key, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a vibrating platen anda type-head having a plurality of type with platen shifting and stoppingmechanism, and a shift-key having a duplex movement, one to actuate theplaten-shifting mechanism, and the other to actuate the platen-stoppingmechanism,

the stopping mechanism comprising a lever which is engaged by theshift-key to swing its stop end into the path of the shifting platen,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination of av shifting platen;platen-shifting mechanism; a type-head having a plurality of type; aplaten shift-key and a swinging bar carrying a stop for the platen, saidkey being adapted to engage said stop-carrying bar, whereby the swingingbar is moved to swing the stop into the path of the platen as it shiftsfrom its normal printing position for another printing position,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a shifting platen and aswinging stop therefor on amovable bar; ahinged key adapted to engagesaid bar to swing it; and

platen-shift mechanism with which said key is connected to actuate it,substantially as described.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a shifting andlongitudinally-traveling platen; a type-head having a plurality of type;a single shift-key; mechanism substantially such as described forconnecting the shift-key with the platen; a swinging platen-stop; theshift-key being movable sidewise to cause the swinging platen-stop tomove into the path of the platen when the shift-key is moved to shiftthe platen from one impression position to another, all substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a shifting andlongitudinally-traveling platen; a type-head having a plurality oftypes; a single shift-key; mechanism, substantially such as described,for connecting the shift-key with the platen to move it from its normalpositon to a plurality of new printing positions in the samedirection,one in advance of the other, corresponding with the'positionsof theseveral types on the typeheads', a complete movement of the keyshifting the platen from its normal position to its extreme print-ingposition; and a movable stop adapted to be moved into the path of theplaten between the normal and extreme printing positions thereof by asupplementary motion of the shift-key, all substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

WVELLINGTON P. KIDDER.

